Day 370: Null Divide

“Null Divide” came completely out of nowhere for me, no pre-release fanfare, and very little chatter about it on the interwebs, but it makes a strong impression. The game is heavily based around exploration, which makes the game refreshingly non-linear, punctuated with periodic puzzles and boss fights, and for the Metroid fan in all of us the ability to upgrade your ship and return to previous areas that are now accessible due to your newfound ability. Local multiplayer (especially co-op is becoming a lost are in big retail releases, but it’s alive and well in a broad swath of indie games, including this one, which not only has local co-op but it’s even of the “drop-in drop-out” variety which lets someone join a game in progress, or leave and let others continue.

This is one game I don’t want to give too much away about, but it’s an extremely worthwhile 80 Microsoft Point purchase. Here’s what the developer (“Apoxxle”, who also did the game “Mute Crimson” which I’ll likely review in the future) wants you to know about “Null Divide”:

“Find upgrades to aid in exploration and combat, fight bosses, and find a way out. *Features retro graphics and nonlinear levels to explore. Includes medals to unlock and drop-in drop-out coop!*”

I enjoyed Null Divide. It would benefit from refinement in some respects, but it would be churlish to complain about that in a game that costs less than a bar of chocolate. Overall, pretty enjoyable. Worth a play, certainly.

I haven’t spent much time with Mute Crimson yet, but I’ve found it pretty fun. So far it hasn’t really done anything astonishingly different, but it seems enjoyable. By all means keep it in mind for a future review.